518 MR. J. J. mSTER ON THE NATURAL [DcC. 4, 



Unfortunately no birds in young plumage were obtained, though 

 one with a mottled breast was seen. 



A partially immature female of this bird was obtained during the 

 visit of the ' Flying-Fish ' to the island, and described in the Report 

 on that collection by Mr. Sharpe'. We obtained adult birds of both 

 sexes, and from these it is evident that the species must be referred 

 to the genus Merula. 



The closest ally of the Christmas-Island Thrush is not very easy 

 to determine. Merula javanensis is the nearest species geogra- 

 phically, but its uniform dark brown head and breast are very dif- 

 ferent from the white chin, grey breast, and crown uniform with the 

 " ashy olive brown " back of our bird. M. chrysolaus from China, 

 which in winter is said to range as far south as Luzon (the 

 most northerly of the Phihppines) — seems to be more closely allied, 

 but the male of this species has a black throat. The bird that most 

 closely resembles it is M. vitiensis, from the Fiji Islands, which, 

 indeed, only differs in having the white below the head limited to 

 the chin, not extending as far as the breast. 



No member of this group of Thrushes has been hitherto found in 

 the Austro-Malay region or in Australia. 



ZosTEROPS NATALis, sp. u. (Plate XXVII.) 



Supra olivaceo-viridis, ad rostri basin Jlavescens ; tergo vix 

 fuscescentiore ; annulo circum-oculari conspicuo ; loris nigj'ican- 

 tibus, supra palUdiore iimbatis ; regions parotica cinerescente ; 

 subtus albescens, lateribus fuscescentibus ; subcaudalibus dilute 

 sulphureis ; rostro nigro ad mandibuli inferioris basin plumbeo ; 

 pedihus plumbeis. 

 Bill black, except the base of the lower mandible, which is slate; 

 crown and nape yellow-olive, yellower towards the bill ; eye-ring 

 distinct, interrupted at the anterior canthus by the lore ; lore black, 

 the black feathers being continued below the eye-ring as far as the 

 middle of the pupil. A short pale yellow band extends along the 

 upper edge of the lores from the bill to the eye-ring ; ear-coverts 

 grey, shading into black in front, and into the green nape behind ; 

 mantle a slightly browner shade of olive than the crown, passing 

 into the rather yellower rump and upper tail-coverts; throat and 

 middle line of under surface white, shading into pale buff at the 

 sides of the chest, pale cinnamon-brown on the flanks ; legs slate ; 

 lower tail-coverts pale yellow ; tail brown above, yellowish olive on 

 the outer edges of the rectrices, pale brown below ; wings above, 

 upper coverts, and outer borders of the quills, excjpt the first, olive- 

 green ; the rest of the quills dark brown ; shafts black, the inner 

 ones brown. Below : lower wing-coverts white, tinged with green ; 

 quills brown, with a pale inner border ; shafts white ; edge of wing 

 dark brown, nearly black. The feathers on the upper and lower 

 surfaces of the body are dark slaty grey at the base. 



1 P. Z. S. 1887, p. 507. " Eeport on Collections made by H.M.S. 'Flying- 

 Fish ' at Christmas Island." 



